Stark Industries

Kyle and Steve's rescue operation ended in a complete victory.

That same day, Kyle handed the battle report and the Intelligence Map to Captain Brant for submission. Without even personally confirming his military merits, he cleaned up with Steve, changed into a formal shirt, and immediately went to meet Howard, Carter, and the others.

After all, Howard had promised to treat them to cheese fondue before the hostage rescue. Kyle could not let him brush it off so easily.

Howard was a rich tycoon! There was no need to be polite with him!

So, at Kyle's strong suggestion, they boarded Stark's plane that day and headed to a nearby city for a banquet and dinner.

Howard was not only wealthy, but also very gentlemanly and refined. Naturally, the place he took the three of them to was no ordinary restaurant.

The hotel entrance glittered with luxurious golden decorations. Clean red carpets covered the floor, the security guards were dressed like gentlemen in suits, and the reception staff were all gorgeous young women in short skirts.

"Howard, you really know how to enjoy life," Kyle remarked.

Howard merely smiled without comment and led the three of them inside.

Howard was clearly a regular here. The reception staff did not even verify his identity. The moment they saw him, they came forward flirtatiously, offering all kinds of VIP services.

Compared to the outside, the dining hall on the first floor was far more understatedly luxurious. Under the gentle glow of classical lighting, musicians played violins while guests dined elegantly to the music. Most of the people here were either rich or powerful, without the slightest worry or concern over the war raging beyond these walls.

However, just as Howard was about to have the receptionist find them a table for four, Kyle spoke first and asked her to find two tables for two instead.

The moment Howard heard that, his face lit up. "Tables for two? Second Lieutenant Kyle, you really understand me. You're letting me have dinner alone with the beautiful Carter tonight."

"You're overthinking it." Kyle rolled his eyes and looked toward Carter beside Steve. Tonight, she had finally shed her usual military skirt suit.

Carter wore a strapless evening gown suited to the occasion. With her already stunning features and a touch of makeup, she looked even more breathtaking.

Her perfectly fitted red gown also outlined the mature figure she had hidden away in the past, every curve exquisite.

"As promised, I brought Steve back safely. I didn't break my word," Kyle said to Carter.

Without waiting for her reply, he patted Steve on the shoulder again. "Take Carter to dinner first."

"Ah!" Steve cried out in surprise before hurriedly nodding. "Oh, I understand."

I'm creating an opportunity for you. Make good use of it, brother.

Kyle chuckled inwardly. He had never had any particular feelings for Carter, so there was nothing to regret.

More importantly, tonight's purpose was not as simple as enjoying a lavish dinner.

"This way, please." The receptionist bowed warmly and gestured toward the dining area, leading Steve and Carter to their seats first.

"Ah... Carter just left like that?" Howard's face was full of disappointment. He glanced at Kyle and asked hesitantly, "Are the two of us men going to eat together? At a table for two?"

"Eat or don't eat, it's up to you. To be honest, I have something else I want to discuss with you tonight." Kyle shrugged.

"Something else?" Howard looked at Kyle in confusion.

Kyle said meaningfully, "Let's find somewhere to sit before we get into the details."

The basement level of the hotel.

This place had an entirely different style from the first-floor hall. Under dim lights, gentlemen and women of every background let themselves loose in the music and danced to their hearts' content.

The attendants carrying drinks were dressed even more revealingly, wearing rabbit-maid outfits with very little fabric. Their pale cleavage and long legs were especially eye-catching.

Howard led Kyle to the bar. On the way there, he openly pinched the bottoms of several passing bunny girls, lecherous without losing his gentlemanly air.

The Stark family truly were all playboys by nature.

Kyle complained inwardly as he ordered a vodka from the bartender, while Howard ordered a cocktail.

"Then let's have a toast first. A toast to World War II." Howard elegantly raised his glass and said something unexpected.

Kyle looked at him in surprise. "War broke out, and that's something worth celebrating?"

"Of course. For someone like me, who researches scientific strategy, weapons of destruction, and advanced technology, without war, even my work would be difficult." Howard maintained his smile as he looked at Kyle. "Isn't it the same for you? Without war, you couldn't have risen from a recruit to the rank of Second Lieutenant in just a few weeks."

"I have to admit, you have quite a strong sense of self-interest." Kyle laughed helplessly and raised his glass to clink it against Howard's.

War had both benefits and drawbacks. To capable people, it was an unprecedented opportunity; to the incapable, it was a detestable disaster.

Howard took a sip of his drink and said, "Stop beating around the bush. If there's something you want to discuss with me, just say it directly. Otherwise, I'm going to go chat up some beautiful women."

Kyle nodded and got straight to the point. "Fine, I'll say it plainly—I want shares in Stark Industries."

"You want to become a partner in my company?" Howard was somewhat surprised. His fingers tapped the tabletop. "Can you tell me why?"

Kyle drank as he answered with certainty, "It's simple. I believe in Stark Industries' potential. In the future, it will definitely become one of the planet's leading producers of strategic and scientific technology. More importantly, I believe in you. You're an undeniable top-tier genius."

"I have to say, you have good taste." Howard was pleased with the answer. He was already an extraordinary genius, with more than enough reason to be proud.

"Because of the war, my focus is still on national scientific and strategic research. Although the Stark Industries I founded has not made much progress yet, it has already achieved results in antigravity research. In the future, it will expand into even more scientific fields. Once the war ends, Stark Industries will develop at an incredible pace!"

Having said that, Howard looked at Kyle seriously. "It's not that I'm looking down on you. I've read your file. You don't have many assets under your name, and even a field-grade officer's salary isn't all that high. So how exactly do you intend to invest in Stark Industries?"

Even between friends, shares in Stark Industries could not simply be handed out with their eyes closed.

Kyle naturally understood that. Since he dared to discuss shares directly with a proud genius like Howard, he naturally had a strong enough card to play.

"What I'm investing isn't money, but the future."

As he spoke, he took a rectangular, relatively thin device he had prepared from his pocket and placed it on the bar.

The front of the device was almost entirely a single sheet of tempered glass, with a tiny camera on it. The back was a smooth metal casing, with a prominent bitten-apple logo in the center.

That was right—it was a phone! An iPhone!